Highest risk U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Trader Joe’s Chicken Enchiladas Verde, Cilantro Salad Dressing recall: Potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination

Recall published 2+ years ago

Potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

Trader Joe’s Meat & poultry — recalled meat & poultryTrader Joe’s Meat & poultry — recalled meat & poultry (photo 2)Trader Joe’s Meat & poultry — recalled meat & poultry (photo 3)Trader Joe’s Meat & poultry — recalled meat & poultry (photo 4)
4 photos published by U.S. Food and Drug Administration with the recall notice.

The hazard: Listeria contamination

Because the organism here is Listeria, the recall is about where the food has been rather than how it looks today. Treat an affected pack as contaminated even if it is sealed and in date.

What the notice says: Trader Joe’s of Monrovia, CA is recalling certain products containing cotija cheese, as the cheese used to make these products has the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.

Why it matters: Listeria monocytogenes is unusual among foodborne bacteria because it keeps growing at refrigerator temperature. A contaminated pack does not become safer for sitting in the cold, and it will look, smell and taste completely normal.

Symptoms and when to call a doctor

Listeriosis is mild or silent in most healthy adults, but it is serious for pregnant people, newborns, adults over 65 and anyone whose immune system is suppressed. The CDC describes intestinal illness as diarrhoea and vomiting, and invasive illness as fever, muscle aches, headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance or convulsions. In pregnancy it can cause miscarriage, stillbirth or infection in the newborn even when the parent feels only mildly unwell. Symptoms can start within a day or not appear for weeks, so tell any doctor you see that you ate a recalled product and give them the date.

This page is general information, not medical advice. If you feel unwell, a clinician who can see you is the only person able to judge your case.

Recall details

Published
February 7, 2024
Risk level
Highest risk
Issued by
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Brand
Trader Joe’s
Product type
Meat & poultry
Distribution
Nationwide
Reports of harm
No illnesses have been reported related to these products, to date.

Products covered by this recall

Chicken Enchiladas Verde, Cilantro Salad Dressing, Elote Chopped Salad Kit, Southwest Salad

What the company announced

Trader Joe’s of Monrovia, CA is recalling certain products containing cotija cheese, as the cheese used to make these products has the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy individuals may suffer short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea. Listeria infection can cause miscarriage and stillbirths among pregnant women.

The cotija cheese that was used to produce the products below was manufactured by Rizo-López Foods, Inc. On 2/5/2024, Rio- López Foods initiated a recall of dairy items, including cotija cheese, under multiple brand names. As a result, Trader Joe’s is recalling all codes of the products listed below that were manufactured with cotija cheese.

The recalled products were sold in Trader Joe’s stores nationwide.

Recalled products include all lots of the following products:

Trader Joe’s Chicken Enchiladas Verde (SKU 58292)

Trader Joe’s Cilantro Salad Dressing (SKU 36420)

Trader Joe’s Elote Chopped Salad Kit (SKU 74768)

Trader Joe’s Southwest Salad (SKU 56077)

No illnesses have been reported related to these products, to date.

If you purchased any of these products, please discard them or return them to any Trader Joe’s for a full refund.

Customers with questions may contact Trader Joe's Customer Relations at (626) 599-3817 [Monday through Friday, 6:00 am to 5:00 pm Pacific Time].

Outbreak Advisory .

Reproduced from the company announcement posted on fda.gov. Links and contact forms in the original are not repeated here; the official notice below has them.

Check your product

The notice names 4 codes you can read straight off the package. Type the one printed on yours and the list below narrows to it.

Model or item number

On the rating label, the box or the instruction sheet.

  • 58292
  • 36420
  • 74768
  • 56077

Codes are lifted verbatim from the FDA — Company recall announcements notice. A code that is missing here may still be covered — the official notice is the complete list.

What to do about Listeria

Trader Joe’s — Because the organism here is Listeria, the recall is about where the food has been rather than how it looks today. Treat an affected pack as contaminated even if it is sealed and in date.

  1. Do not eat it and do not open a sealed pack to inspect it — opening it only spreads the bacteria around your kitchen.
  2. Wash and then sanitise anything the food touched: the fridge shelf and drawer, chopping boards, knives, counters and your hands. Listeria colonises cold surfaces and can survive there after the food is gone.
  3. If anyone in the household is pregnant, over 65 or immunocompromised, call a clinician for advice even if nobody feels ill. That conversation is quick and it is the whole point of a Listeria recall.
  4. Photograph the label, the lot code and the date mark before the pack leaves the house — that picture is what a refund claim runs on.

Refunds, and what else you can claim

The purchase price is the floor, not the ceiling. Where a recall caused you a real cost, say so.

  • Claim the refund at the store first; it is the fastest route and needs the least paperwork.
  • If you bought several packs over time, list them. Firms routinely settle for more than a single unit when a customer asks.
  • Medical costs, lost earnings or a spoiled event are not handled at the service desk. Write to the company contact on this page instead, with dates and documents.
  • Keep copies of everything you send. If a recall caused harm, that file is what any later claim rests on.

Remedy named in the notice: If you purchased any of these products, please discard them or return them to any Trader Joe’s for a full refund.

Company contact: Trader Joe’s Company — Consumers: Trader Joe's Customer Relations, (626) 599-3817

The official notice

This page summarises a notice published by U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The agency notice is the authoritative version — read it before you act, and treat it as the final word if anything here looks different.

Open the FDA — Company recall announcements record U.S. Food and Drug Administration recalls

Questions people ask about this recall

Why was Trader Joe’s meat & poultry recalled?

Potential Listeria monocytogenes contamination. Trader Joe’s of Monrovia, CA is recalling certain products containing cotija cheese, as the cheese used to make these products has the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.

How do I know if I have the recalled product?

Match the codes printed on your package against the notice: model number 58292, 36420, 74768. If the code on your package is not on that list, your unit is outside the recall.

What should I do with it right now?

Do not eat it and do not open a sealed pack to inspect it — opening it only spreads the bacteria around your kitchen.

Can I get my money back?

The notice says: If you purchased any of these products, please discard them or return them to any Trader Joe’s for a full refund.

Where was the recalled product sold?

It was distributed nationwide.

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